The Fair Maiden
by irish
Summary: Cade Foster falls for journalist Elizabeth Baker while helping her investigate the death of her father


The Fair Maiden   
  
Disclaimer: - The First Wave Title and Characters are the copyright of First Wave Productions in association with Pearson TV. The characters of Cade Foster, Crazy Eddie, Joshua, Hannah and the Gua are the property of Chris Brancato, Larry Sugar and Francis Ford Coppola. Everything else belongs to me! AMcS (April 2000)  
  
  
Prologue  
  
Elizabeth Baker's father Max had been a respected scientist for over 40 years. In the course of his work he had made some very important discoveries some which had remained with him when he committed suicide.   
Elizabeth was a freelance investigative reporter. She decided it was time to pick up her father's belongings from his old office.   
"Elizabeth. It is so good to see you. How are you since..." Adele, the secretary said.  
"I have been just fine. I am picking up my father's stuff. I haven't been able to do it since now." Liz said smiling.  
"Oh you poor dear, all of this must have been hard for you"   
"Yes it has" Liz said not wanting to get into a discussion. "I am just going in now"  
"Well let me just call Mr. Webber for you and he will take you there himself"  
"Fine" Liz said getting a bit irritated.  
A tall man in his 40's came through the door.  
"Liz, my dear, come on through" Don Webber said to her taking her by the arm.  
"Don I would like to pick up my father's belongings." She said to him  
"Of course" he led her to the storage room.   
"Well here it is" Don said placing a file box into Liz's arms.   
"Is this it?" She asked as she took off the lid and looked into it puzzled.  
"Yes, it is sad really, this was his life's work" Webber said.  
  
When Liz got home she looked through the box. She read every piece of paper. She could not find anything that was related to the work that he was doing before he died. The secret project he talked to her about. The genetic cloning of humans. It was all very strange. She came across a brown envelope which was hidden in the bottom of the box. She opened it. In it was an article on cloning from an Internet web site called The Paranoid Times. There was also a key. She decided to look up The Paranoid Times on the Internet. She was intrigued when she came across Cade Foster's journals about his quest to expose an alien conspiracy on earth.   
"This guy is a nut," she thought.   
She then accessed the web site for the Chicago Sun-Times and typed in Cade Foster in the search query. The first page that came up was a photograph and announcement of Cade and Hannah on their wedding day. She scrolled down the screen and another photograph of Cade came up announcing his promotion at Viceroy, the organization he worked for before he was fired.   
As she scrolled down even further another headline made her sit up.   
"Chicago Man convicted of Wife's Murder".  
She read the article and then went back to The Paranoid Times web site and read the very first journal entry. She looked at the printout of the article that had been in the envelope and back at the screen.   
"What is the connection here" she wondered. "What does Genetron have to do with this".   
She decided to send an email to the Paranoid Times.  
  
"It read:-  
  
I may have information concerning Genetron and a secret project they are involved in. Would it be possible for someone to meet me to discuss this.  
  
MC"  
  
*******  
  
Quatrain 7 Century 10 -   
  
"In the Fields of the Great Finch, where The Fair Maiden spent her youth, She seeks to find answers of a loved one's untimely demise."  
  
Just an observation:  
This Quatrain seemed explanatory to Eddie and myself but we wondered who The Fair Maiden was and what she had to do with the aliens.  
  
We received an email from someone who said they had information regarding a corporation called Genetron in St. Louis, Missouri. Genetron was a small organisation involved in genetically engineering crops. Eddie thought that this may be an alien trap but I was intrigued so I agreed to meet this person in St.Louis.  
  
  
Liz got an email back from The Paranoid Times agreeing to meet with her at the phone booth on the plaza beside the river in St. Louis. She didn't want to go straight up to her contact and tell him who she was. She dressed up in her roller-skating gear and hid behind a large tree opposite the phone booth. She watched as a man with short brown hair and wearing dark blue jeans, blue t-shirt and a black jacket take out a cell phone and speak into it. He was wearing dark sunglasses.   
  
"Eddie, it's Foster, there is no sign of my contact yet. I will wait another 10 minutes," he said into the phone. As he hung up the phone he was knocked to the ground. Liz had gone out of control on her skates and knocked them both over.  
"Are you all right" Cade asked as he helped Liz up. He looked around to see if anyone was coming.  
"I'm fine, I just knocked the wind out of myself." Liz said recognising Cade from the photographs in the newspaper.  
"You should watch where you are going" he said.  
"I know, I am sorry." Liz said. "Are you waiting for someone?" She asked.  
"What" asked Cade getting irritated now.  
"Are you waiting for someone. It looks like you are, is it a woman?"  
"Listen Lady, would you just go and skate somewhere else."   
"Well … if I do you won't hear what I have to say" Liz said.  
Cade looked at the blonde woman standing in front of him and then looked around him.  
"Are you MC ?" he asked.  
"Yes. I am sorry about this. I wanted to be sure I was meeting the right person.   
"What information do you have" he asked helping her over to the bench to take her skates off.  
"My father was Max Baker. He was a scientist and worked for Genetron" Liz explained  
"Was?" asked Cade.  
"My father died a month ago. He was working on a top-secret project in Genetron. He told me about it. I don't know how far he was with his research. I was supposed to meet him the day he died."  
  
"Eddie, this is Elizabeth Baker" Cade said as they went into the trailer.  
"As I told Cade my father Max died a month ago while he was doing research on a top secret project"  
"Wait a minute, you are Max Baker's daughter. I heard about him. He was the top scientist in his field." Eddie said. "Her father was a genetic scientist" he told Cade. "He committed suicide"  
"That's just it. I don't think he did. I think he was murdered because he wanted to go public" Liz said.  
"Why did your father tell you about this if it was top secret?" Cade asked.  
"I am an investigative journalist, freelance, you can do a background check if you want. I blew the lid off the Drewham pollution story. I hadn't spoken to my father for 6 years. Then out of the blue he called me two weeks before he died and told me what he was working on and that he wanted me to do a story on the project when it was finished." Liz explained. "I picked up his belongings from the office yesterday. I looked through all his papers but I could not find anything."  
"Why did you fall out with your father?" asked Cade.  
"He didn't think journalism was a noble profession, hmm, maybe he is right…" Liz replied looking at the two men.  
"Why come to us?" asked Eddie.  
"The research he was doing was on cloning. On human beings" Liz explained. Eddie and Cade stared at Liz incredulously.  
"You are not serious" Cade finally said.  
"Very" she replied. "I came across an article he had printed from The Paranoid Times about human cloning and I wondered if there was some sort of connection with what is going on with you." She said to Cade.  
"Well the aliens are capable of cloning" he said to her. "but I didn't think Genetron did that kind of work"  
"Well up until a year and a half ago they weren't. But Don Webber, the director of Genetron, decided on a policy change and asked my father to take control of research. He wasn't happy about it but he did it."  
"A year and a half. They must have started up new experiments!" Eddie exclaimed.  
"Security has increased so much. It is impossible to get past reception now. Oh …. I found this key in the envelope as well. I've never seen it before" Liz said handing Eddie the key.  
"It looks like a key to a safety deposit box" Eddie said looking at it. "Do you see those serial numbers along the side … they will tell us where it is located." He started punching numbers into the computer.   
"Well it seems like the key is from a safety deposit box from the Allied Bank of America in Fincheley"  
"Fincheley. That is where the Cabin is. Dad bought it 20 years ago for summer vacations. I haven't been there in a while." Liz exclaimed.  
"How far is Fincheley from here" asked Cade.  
"If we leave now we will be there by sundown" Liz said.  
"We?" asked Cade.  
"Yeah, if you are going then so am I" Liz said.  
Cade looked at Eddie. Eddie shrugged.  
"You can come on one condition" he finally said.  
"OK"  
"You can come if you do an article about the invasion" Cade said.  
"If you give me exclusive rights" Liz replied.  
"That is a deal" Cade said as they shook hands.   
  
Cade and Liz left for Fincheley soon after. He and Eddie had done the skin cut test to prove that she wasn't an alien. As Liz drove she and Cade talked. Cade felt that he had made some sort of connection with her. It seemed for the first time in a long time he felt totally comfortable around someone without suspecting they were aliens.   
Liz had heavy metal music blaring from her stereo as they drove.  
"How can you listen to that?" Cade asked.  
"Oh I am your original metal groupie. It makes me think clearer when I am driving!" She replied.  
Cade was saved from answering back when his cell phone started ringing. It was Eddie.  
He had done a background check on Liz just to be certain but he found nothing unusual.  
"Everything looks good, buddy, Elizabeth Jane Baker, born 23 August 1971 in St. Louis. Only child. We know who her father is. Her mother, Mary Cantwell, died of cancer when she was 16. Graduated third in her class from North Western, majored in journalism. Won The Crucible award for exposing the Drewham Pollution story 2 years ago. Works freelance but has worked for the Post in Chicago,…"  
While Eddie was telling Cade this Liz smiled to herself as she knew what they were talking about.  
"Thanks Eddie" Cade said and hung up.  
"So background check matched up then, huh" Liz said.  
"It's getting very hard to trust people these days" Cade replied.  
"You're only forgiven if you cook tonight" Liz laughed.  
"That's a deal. So … North Western Huh?"  
  
They arrived at the cabin just after 8. They had stopped at the store to stock up on provisions.   
"It is so beautiful here" Liz said looking out at the lake.   
"Yes it is" Cade agreed. They went into the cabin. Cade had promised he would cook something for them. They talked as they ate. Suddenly car lights came up on the window. Liz looked out.   
"It's Sheriff Harris," she said looking at Cade who started to look a little uneasy. "Don't worry they are not well informed up here". Cade got up and went over to the kitchen sink. There was a knock on the door. Liz answered it.  
"Well Elizabeth I did not know you were coming up here. I saw the lights on and came on up to investigate" The sheriff said coming in.  
"Oh I came up to get away for a while." Liz said.   
"I was very sorry to hear about your father" he replied looking around it. He saw Cade at the sink.  
"Thanks Sheriff"  
"Well I will leave you folks in peace" He said. "Goodbye Liz, Good bye sir" he said to Cade   
"Goodbye". Cade said half turning around.  
  
That evening they sat beside the fire, Liz on the couch and Cade in the armchair going through Max's papers to see if they could find anything. Liz stifled a yawn and took off her glasses.  
"Oh, I am tired. I think I will hit the hay" she said getting up.  
"I'll take the couch" Cade said.  
"Actually we will both have to take the couch. It is a fold out bed. The old bed was disposed of," replied Liz.  
Cade looked a bit bewildered.  
"Don't worry I don't bite. I can control myself. Can you?" Liz laughed.   
"Well …" Cade laughed helping her pull out the bed.  
"I just hope you don't snore" Liz said.  
They both got into the bed and turned their backs to each other and said goodnight.  
  
When Cade woke up in the morning Liz was lying in his arms. He got up and made coffee. Liz woke up and saw Cade looking out the window.  
"Morning" she said. "Are you up long"  
"About an hour." He replied. "We should go to the bank when it opens".  
"Yeah, I am going to take a shower." She said getting up.  
  
An hour later they were on their way into town to the bank.   
"Excuse me. Could I have access to a safety deposit box?" Liz asked the bank teller.  
"I'm sorry I don't have the authority" the bank teller said.  
"Well can you get the person who has the authority?" asked Liz politely.  
"The bank manager, Frank Banks, is the only person who deals with the boxes and he is not here" replied the teller.  
"Well can you tell us what time he will be here?" Cade asked.  
"He won't be in today at all" the woman replied.  
"This is like getting blood out of a stone," thought Cade. "It is important that we get to one of the boxes. Could you help us out" he asked.  
"I'm sorry. Mr. Banks is the only person who deals with the boxes. I can't help you out"  
"When will Mr. Banks be back?" asked Liz getting irritated.  
"He will be back on Monday" the woman said.  
"Thank you". Liz said walking out.  
They talked about what they were going to do next. Cade felt there was not much point in breaking into the bank when they had a key to the safety deposit box. He also didn't feel like driving all the way back to St. Louis. Liz decided that she was going to stay at the cabin for the weekend.  
  
"Eddie, Liz said she was staying the weekend" Cade spoke into his cell phone to his partner.  
"Why don't you as well. Get some R and R. Go Fishing!" Eddie said.  
"Fishing!" laughed Cade   
"Yeah, when was the last time you took some time to relax?" asked Eddie.  
" I don't know, Eddie…" admitted Cade.  
"Foster, stay the weekend. If anything crops up here I'll call you". Eddie hung up.   
  
Cade decided to stay the weekend. He and Liz took the boat out and fished for the afternoon. Cade realized that he hadn't had such a good time since before Hannah died. He was afraid to admit to himself that he could be falling for Liz. He watched her as she wound up her fishing line. She looked around and saw him looking at her. She smiled at him.  
"I think it is time we got back" she said picking up the fishing box. As she did she slipped on some water and fell back but Cade reached out and grabbed her before she hit her head. He helped her up.  
"Are you all right?" he asked concerned.  
"Yes, I keep falling for you, it must mean something." she said looking at him. They looked at each other for what seemed like ages. He bent his head and kissed her but he pulled away abruptly.  
"I'm sorry." He said looking anxious.   
"Don't be" Liz said.  
"We better get back before it gets dark" he said starting the engine.   
  
That evening Cade sat on the swing in the porch. He was in turmoil. No matter how much he tried to picture Hannah he couldn't. Liz was all he could see in his mind.   
Liz came out and sat down beside him.   
"About what happened" he said.  
"Cade, don't keep apologizing for kissing me." Liz said.   
Cade looked at her. "I can't do this," he admitted.  
"What?" She asked gently.  
"I can't… feel this way… I am attracted to you" he said, his voice shaking with emotion. Liz said nothing. Cade looked distressed, got up and walked off.   
"I'm afraid," he said.   
"What are you afraid of?" Liz asked as he got to the end of the porch and stood looking out at the lake. Cade turned around to face Liz.   
"I'm afraid that I might be falling for you" he eventually said. He walked over to Liz. "I want you" he whispered to her. She stood up and took his hand. They kissed. Liz led him into the house.  
  
Cade lay in bed with his arms around Liz who was asleep with her head lying on his chest. After making love they talked into the early hours. Cade felt a sense of peace.   
Liz stirred in her sleep and woke up.  
"Morning, did you sleep well" he asked.  
"Yeah, did you" she replied.  
"Better than I have in the past year" he admitted kissing her.  
  
Cade and Liz spent the next couple of days walking and talking. In the evening time they sat on the porch swing with a blanket around them.   
Liz asked him what was going to happen when they got back.  
"I don't know" Cade said. "I have to stop them from launching the second wave"  
"Cade, you are waging a one man battle. What makes you think you can"  
Cade looked at her. "For the sake of the future of mankind I have to try"  
"What happens if you don't?" asked Liz.  
"I don't even want to think about it!" he admitted.  
  
The following morning Cade and Liz went to the bank again. The Bank Manager took them to the vault where the safety deposit boxes were. After they finished the formalities and the bank manager left the room Liz opened the box. In it was a large brown envelope along with a smaller envelope with Liz's name on it. Liz started to open it but Cade stopped her, indicating the security camera in the room. Liz placed the envelope into her bag and they left the room. They passed Mr. Banks on the way out who called them into his office.  
"Did you get what you wanted" he asked.  
"Yes thank you" Liz said smiling at him.  
"Well it could be something I want as well" he said. Cade realised he was an alien and pushed him out of the way. He had some fishing tackle and line in his pocket which he threw in Banks's face. Banks screamed in pain. Cade then wrapped the fishing line around Banks's neck. As he pulled it tight Banks began to choke and then fell to the ground. Liz watched in horror as the alien began to dissolve.  
"Lets get out of here" Cade said.  
They left the bank as discreetly as they could and ran for the car. Liz found a letter from her father in the envelope. It read:  
  
"My Dearest Liz  
  
I have found things out about Genetron and the experiments that they are doing. I do not want to be a part of this. I have also discovered evidence that the people at Genetron are not who they appear to be. Send this information to The Paranoid Times as they will be interested in what it all means. I fear for my life and I hope you are not in danger either. Expose these people for what they are.  
I know things were never great between us. Please forgive me.  
I will always love you.  
  
Dad"  
  
Liz cried as she read the letter.  
"They killed him, Cade. He found out who they were and they killed him" she cried.  
Cade tried to comfort her.  
  
Cade drove back to the city to Eddie's trailer. Eddie and Cade looked through the files. They could not believe what they were reading. It was real proof that the aliens were involved in cloning at Genetron.  
"I am going to my office for a while" Liz said looking at Cade. He got up and went out with her.  
"I'll call you later," he said kissing her on the cheek.  
Eddie had seen the look that passed between the two.  
"So what happened" he asked.   
"What do you mean?" asked Cade  
"What happened with you and the hack?"  
Cade looked at him with a look of pain on his face.  
"Liz is great, she's beautiful, smart, funny …"  
"But" interrupted his friend  
"Eddie, I can't lose Hannah's memory." He said.  
"Cade, memories of Hannah are all that you have. You have to let her go, man." Eddie said to his friend.   
"If I let her memory go, I will have nothing." Cade replied sadly looking down at the finger where his wedding ring used to be. He had taken it off months before after he avenged Hannah's death.  
"What do you mean" asked Eddie.  
"All of these months on the run I was looking for revenge. I got that and now I am running to save humanity. This past weekend was the first time in a very long time that I have felt a sense of peace. But I can't feel this way. I can't let my feelings for Liz get in the way. If I do then the fight is over."  
"Did you say any of this to Liz?" asked Eddie   
"No…. I can't think about this now. I am going to Genetron to have a look around. I will call you later" Cade said and walked out the door.  
  
When Cade got to Genetron he saw that the place was secure. He noticed that a part of the fence had been pulled up. He crawled through the hole in the fence and ran to the main building. He tried an exit door but it was locked. He picked the lock and went in. He found his way to Webber's office. He heard a noise and ducked into a closet. The closet door opened and Liz came in. She did not see Cade who grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth. Liz tried to scream  
"Don't scream it's me" he whispered letting her go.   
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.  
"I could ask the same of you" Cade replied.  
"I am doing my job" Liz said.  
"How did you get in?" he asked.  
"I seduced the guard" replied Liz.  
"This is too dangerous for you. You better leave" Cade said.  
"The hell I will. This is my story" Liz said angrily.  
"I figured you would say that" Cade replied.  
Cade saw how determined she was so he looked out the door and saw that nobody was coming. He unlocked the door to Webber's office and the two of them went in.  
  
They went through Webber's filing cabinets. They discovered that the experiments were a lot further along than they had thought.  
"They have developed a new way of growing husks," Cade said in alarm as Liz took photos with her small camera. "We have to find the Lab."  
  
They left the room and came to a door. A sign on the door warned them that they were in a Top Secret Area and that the area was secured. Cade noticed that the door had a security scanning device on it. He took out his scanner and bypassed the system. The door opened. They went in and stood in shock at the scene in front of them.  
"Oh my God!" Liz exclaimed.  
  
There were rows and rows of glass jars. In the glass jars there was liquid bubbling around what looked like fetuses in various stages of development.  
  
They walked to the end of the lab were they saw another door. The sign on the door said Incubation Chamber.   
Cade opened the door and they went in. In the room there were various incubators and cots. In the cots were babies with various deformities.  
"They have mixed the alien cells with human cells which cause the cells to develop at 150 times the normal rate. That is what has caused the deformities" Cade said noticing movement in a cot at the end of the room. They walked to the cot and were startled to see a three-year-old girl lying in the cot staring up at them. She was perfect.   
"Cade, this child was born at 10 o clock this morning" Liz said reading from the chart at the end of the bed. "In twelve hours this child had grown 3 times its normal age which means…. "  
"By tomorrow night she will be an 80 year old. I guess they don't know how to control the Rapid Growth Acceleration yet" Cade replied.  
"And they will keep on doing this till they get it right" Liz said looking at the child.  
"That's right" Cade and Liz jumped at the voice behind them. It was Don Webber. He had a gun.  
"I see you found your father's files," he said.  
"Yeah, My father would have nothing to do with this" Liz replied angrily.  
"That's where you are wrong. Where do you think the DNA came from"  
"What?" exclaimed Liz.  
"That child was created using your father's DNA. That means, genetically, she is his daughter. Your sister, Mary, so to speak".  
"You are lying"   
"I'm not. Now I am going to destroy the two of you. This place is set to explode in less than 10 minutes"  
Cade jumped on Webber and punched his face knocking him on the ground. Cade grabbed the gun and shot Webber and watched him dissolve.  
"Come on" exclaimed Cade. "We have to get out of here".  
"Wait" Liz said and ran back into incubation chamber. She returned with the child in her arms.  
"Are you crazy" Cade exclaimed. "We can't take her with us"  
"Cade please."   
"C'mon lets get out of here" he said. They ran back the way they came and across the grass. The full force of the explosion knocked them to the ground. Cade looked up to see the whole building in flames and they could hear the sirens of the fire engines. They got up and ran to the car.  
  
They drove back to Fincheley. By the time they got there the child had aged to the age of 10.  
At the cabin Liz made something for Mary while Cade was updating Eddie about what was going on.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Liz asked the child. Mary said nothing but stared at Liz. There was something about the way she was staring at Liz that made her feel uneasy.   
"So what are we going to do with her?" asked Cade.  
"I don't know"  
"Well with the rate that the ageing process is accelerating she will probably die soon" Cade said.  
"I know" Liz said sadly and walked out into the kitchen. Cade followed.  
"I always wanted to have a sister" she told him.  
"I'm sorry" he said hugging her. They looked through the door and saw Mary ageing to a 16 year-old. She had not moved from the couch but kept staring at them which made them feel uneasy.   
"Why don't you get some sleep. I will keep an eye on her" Cade said.  
Soon Mary and Liz were asleep. Mary on the couch and Liz on the armchair. Cade looked into the fire and wondered what he was going to do.  
He heard a noise and looked around to see that Mary had woken up. She got up and walked over to Cade. She lifted her hand and stroked his cheek and kissed him on the lips. Suddenly she scratched his neck. Cade yelled out in pain startling Mary and waking Liz. Mary ran towards the door and opened it and ran into the woods. Cade and Liz went out after her. It was dawn when they found Mary. She was cowering at the base of a tree. She was now the age of a 50-year-old woman. They brought her back to the cabin. By the time they got back she was 70 years old. They put her on the couch and watched her as she aged even more rapidly. Suddenly there was a flash of light and Mary developed alien features and then dissolved.  
  
Cade and Liz drove back to the city both of them deep in thought.  
Cade asked Liz to pull the car over to the grass verge.  
"Why?" Liz asked.  
"We need to talk" he replied, "About us".  
Cade looked at her. "You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. But …."  
"I understand" Liz replied.  
"I'm sorry" Cade said.  
"Don't keep apologizing to me, for Christ's sake" Liz almost shouted.  
"Liz, when my wife died, my whole life fell apart. I made a vow to get revenge on those responsible for her death. I got revenge. But my life was empty without her… until you came along." Cade replied sadly.  
"I understand, you don't need to explain" Liz replied.  
"I do. I don't want you to think that you don't mean anything to me, because you do. I will always care about you, You are a very special lady but until this is over I have to put this thing first…. Promise me you will be my friend"  
"I promise" Liz said.  
  
They started the car again and Liz drove Cade to Eddie's trailer to let him know what had happened with Mary.   
  
*******  
  
Cade's Journal entry  
  
"Liz destroyed her father's documents. She felt that she didn't want her father's memory and reputation tarnished by what went on at Genetron. Guess I couldn't blame her.  
  
I never expected to feel that way about anyone again after Hannah. But I can't afford to get emotionally involved during this time. I think Liz knew this too. She agreed to help us out and expose the conspiracy. But she needed time to grieve first. Grieve for the people that were taken away from her by the Gua"   
  
  



End file.
